This is the kind of vapid, meaningless criticism you get when people try to treat writing like math. Storytelling is not a series of logical equations to be solved.
Okay y'all, here are 2 scenes side by side really spelling it out for you. Aang avoiding head on solutions is why he fails at Earthbending. Korra ONLY approaching things head on is why she fails at Airbending. It's about underlying philosophies, not "the elements are opposite."
@Johnny2Cellos It’s a retcon. That’s why there’s confusion. In ATLA it was about your opposite element being difficult. In LOK they changed it to be what’s opposite of your personality. It’s a subtle distinction but it’s why there’s confusion.
@Johnny2Cellos There were probably Fire avatars who took to water like a fish and Earth avatars that couldn’t get a handle on Fire Because they were all different people
@Johnny2Cellos She’s also philosophically rigid. Honestly it’s no wonder she excels at the other 3 elements- she’s passionate and volatile (fire), stubborn and hard working (earth), compassionate and a creative thinker (water). She just doesn’t have the spiritual flexibility for air.
@Johnny2Cellos Also the element of freedom for someone sheltered all her life I mean also look at iroh's speak spelling out that the elements shouldn't be viewed in such a ridged way I feel like it's more interesting to develop the avatar's personality and then see that element opposes that--
@Johnny2Cellos Also they’re two different people in VERY different worlds. As we learn later in season 2. Waterbending culture has changed. Same way firebending was changing at the end of atla through aang and zuko.
@Johnny2Cellos arguing with TLoKorra haters is unfortunately a fruitless endeavor you're hitting it all right tho respect
@Johnny2Cellos Also like, air is the element of freedom right? Korra was pretty much locked up for most of her life, there was no way she could "connect" to being free mentally because she just wasn't free from the get go
@Johnny2Cellos @KaiserNeko The only other reference we have is Roku, who admits Water bending was difficult for him, but offers no elaboration. It's not clear if it was an element issue, personality, Roku could have just sucked at waterbending.
@Johnny2Cellos @KaiserNeko Iroh learned to redirect lightning by studying waterbending. It was always about the character, rather than a simple opposite situation.